Fifa member Franz Beckenbauer believes the 2018 World Cup should be held in Europe and that England is the best candidate to host the finals. Beckenbauer, a member of Fifa's executive committee, which decides the World Cup hosts, said the quality of England's league and stadia made the country the favourites.

"2010 is South Africa, then because of the Fifa rotation in 2014 it will be South America, probably Brazil, and then it's the end of the rotation," Beckenbauer told BBC Five Live radio yesterday. "It has to come back to Europe and then England, of course, is the first choice to host the World Cup in 2018."

Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner as a player and manager who headed the organising committee of last year's finals in his native Germany, said: "There is no better country in Europe to host it in 2018. The Premier League at the moment is the best league in Europe, the stadiums are outstanding and the new Wembley Stadium, and the club stadiums, are in the best condition ever. So it's logical to bring the 2018 World Cup to England."

Beckenbauer added: "England is the favourite . . . Germany is out because we hosted the 2006 World Cup, Italy is not in a very stable condition, France was in 1998 and Spain I don't know."

The future of Fifa's continental rotation policy is up for discussion by the game's ruling body, which will announce the 2014 hosts in October, while its president Sepp Blatter has said the 2018 tournament could go to North America.

The US, Australia and China have expressed interest in hosting the event in 11 years' time, while Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have announced a combined bid. The final decision is due to be taken in 2012.

Meanwhile, Gordon Strachan believes Celtic could become British champions if they were allowed into the Premier League - but he admits joining a European league is a more likely next step. He can see a scenario where Premier League giants and Europe's biggest clubs launch a breakaway league, even if that was in defiance of Uefa and Fifa.

"That's just my idea," he said, "that you might get the top 50 clubs saying, 'Right, that's enough, let's all make the cash and we'll break away, make our own leagues, and Uefa and Fifa can do what they want'. You've got to remember there's people from all around the world getting English clubs now - they're big businessmen, where do they make the money?"

Celtic would not want to be marginalised if the biggest clubs in Europe did launch such a league, however, until recently their hope was to be allowed to play English clubs. Celtic's major shareholder Dermot Desmond claimed in 2001 the club would be competing in the Premier League within five years, however the door has remained firmly shut.

Strachan insists Celtic would soon become contenders for honours in the Premiership.

"The finances they would get, they'd have a chance," he said. "You've got to remember they (Celtic) get 60,000 people every week."

However he does not see the Premier League's stance changing. "I think eventually there's going to be a European league, so I think you can forget about getting into England," Strachan added.